Axle and bearing construction



y 1 F. G. HUGHES I 2,206,323

AXLE AND, BEARING CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan, 24, 1959 Q /NVENTO a; I FREDERICK G. HUGHES,

Patented July 2, 1940 2.206.323 AXLE am) BEARING CONSTRUCTION Frederick G. Hughes, Bristol, Conn, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Delaware Application January 24, 1939, Serial No. 252,623

( 21. zoo-191) 12 Claims.

This invention relates to bearing mountings andcomprises all of the features and aspects of novelty herein disclosed. An object of the invention is to provide an improved construction i'ormounting a shaft with respect to a housing, especially a drive shaft in the semi-floating type of rear axle housing. Another object is to provide a simple bearing mounting for a drive shaft and one that has advantageous features pertaining especially to economy in production, to ease of assembly and dismounting and to eiflclency inpreventing lubricant leakage.

To.these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of the character indicated, the invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a construction adjacent to the'outer portionof a motor vehicle rear axle.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken o'nthe line 2--2 of Fig. 1. i i Fig. 3 is a cross section takenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modifica- Fig. 5 is a cross 6-5 of Fig 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the so brake anchor plate, the section being taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 5.

The numeral l0 indicates a portion of a road wheel which is adapted to be secured to a flange l2 on a drive shaft or axle l4 pertaining to the 35 semi-floating type of automobile rear axles.

The shaft isioumalled in an antifriction bearing comprising -'rolling elements iii in the form of balls running in grooved raceways of an inner race ring it and an angular outer race ring 20.

40 The inner race ring is tightly secured upon the sectional view taken on line tion, the section being taken on line 4-4 of V Fig 1 drive shaft against a shoulder and the outer.

race ring is provided with suitable grease seals 22 to retain bearing grease.

The outer race ring has an integral, outward- 45 ly extending holding flange 24 provided with a series of bolt holes for bolts 28 having heads 28 and nuts 28. The shanks of the bolts'preferably have serrations where they are forced through the bolt holes in the flange24 to thereby hold 50 thebolts attached to the bearing to handle as a unit'therewith. The heads 28 of the bolts are slabbed off as at 30 just outside of a peripheral portion of the race ring 24 to insure against rotation of thebolts when the nuts .are set up A. tight. The bolts pass through a disc or brake anchor plate 32 and through an outwardly extending terminal flange 34 on an angle member j 36 of tubular form which is conveniently welded along a joint '38 in concentric alignment with a tubular axle housing 40 to form a part thereof. 5 When the nuts 29 are set up, the bearing flange 24 is rigidly clamped against the outer side face of the anchor plate32 and the latter is forced against the flange 34. To avoid leakage, of gear 7 lubricant from the axle housing, it is desirable 1 to insert annular gaskets 44 and 46 between the v flat side faces of the anchor plate and the adjacentflanges. The seals 22 besides retaining bearing grease prevent leakage of gear lubricant through the bearing itself. Thebrake anchor 15. plate is clamped between the spaced confronting flanges 24 and 34 by'the bolts but is independently secured to the flange 34 by screw bolts 48 and nuts 50 as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the heads of the screws being countersunk in the 20 anchor plate. Upon removing the nuts 29 which are directly accessible at the inner or difierential.

side of the anchor plate and the flange34, the

drive shaft, bearing and bolts can be detached and withdrawn as a unit without disconnecting 25 the brake anchor plate or disturbing the 011 lines or. other brake parts thereon. v

In the modification shown in Figs. 4,5 and 6,

p the bolt holes in the holding flange 24 are countersunk and portions 52 of the bolts 26 are upset 30 or riveted therein. To relieve the bolts of shearing stresses imposed by the weight of'the vehicle and to insure concentricity of bearing and housing, the bra 'e anchor plate 32 is piloted or centered upon b of the flanges 24 and 34. For this purpose, two circular series of oflset lugs or projections and 56 are bent or extruded from the anchor plate concentric with the bolt holes. The'projection's 54 extend laterallyfrom the in ner sideof the plate and are piloted upon the flange 34. Theprojections 56 alternate with the projections 54 and extend laterally from the outer side of the plate to be piloted upon and conform to the flange 24. The bearing is a precision product and the periphery of its flange 24 is circular and concentric with its circular series of bolt holes. Thecircles in which the arcuate edges of the projections lie are of the'same diameter as the flanges 24 and 34'. The flanges 34 are concentric with their bolt holes. Thus the bearing and the anchor plate are assured of accurate andconcentric mounting on the axle housing. and the assembly is very economical withal. The angle members 28 can be cheaply yet accurately producedfin a is f the race ring, the housing surrounding the shaft punch press, each flange being trimmed oi! concentric with its bolt holes before the angle member is welded to the housing to, This avoids handling of the entire housing and swinging it end for end to machine internal or external seats peripheral seat and past the clamping capto the detriment of the brakes. In the present construction, on the other hand, the flat face contact of the clamped members with elimination of bearing seats prevents leakage around the bearing periphery. The bearing is-rigidly supported yet can be readily detached with the drive shaft and remains protected when so withdrawn. The axle housing can be madeof 'small diameter because it is unnecessary to place the hearings inside of it or in enlargements thereof and this is conducive to economy. I I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a bearing having its outer racev ring provided with a terminal flange, a shaft journalled in the bearing, a tubular housing .of smaller diameter than and having an outwardly extending flange, means for securing the flanges together, and means externally engaging the flanges to effect support of one from the other; substantially as described. I

2. In a device of .the character described, a bearing having its outer race ringprovided with a terminal flange, a shaft journalled in the bear-' ing, a tubular housing of smaller diameter than the meeting, the housing surrounding the shaft and having an outwardly extending flange, the

ends of the flanges forming peripheral seats, a plate having lateral projections engaging the 1 seats to eflect supportof one from the other, and means .for securing the flanges together.

3. In a device of thecharacter described, a bearing having its outer race ring provided with a terminal flange, a shaft. journalled in the hearing, a tubular housing of smaller diameter than the race ring, an angle member of tubular form having an inner, portion secured in abutting relation to the. end of the housing and a flange projecting outwardly therefrom, and means for] securing the flanges togethen substantially as described.

4. In a semi-floating axle construction, an axle housing having a tubular portion and an angular member welded thereto to provide a terminal 'flange, an antifriction bearing beyond the flange,

' a drive shaft journalled in the bearing, the

outer race ring of the bearing being of larger diameter than the tubular portion offthe housing and having a flange confrontin the flange of the housing, and.means for securing the flanges in concentric relation; substantially as described.

5. In a semi-floating axle construction, an axle housing having a-flange, a drive shaft,-an antifriction bearing beyond the flange and having its:ii mer race ring mounted on the shaft, the

outer, race ring-of the bearing having a flange confronting the flange of the housing, and a member clamped between the flanges and having means to center one flange with respect to the other; substantially as described.

. 6. In a semi-floating axle construction, an axle housing, a drive shaft, an antifriction bearing having its inner race ringmounted on the shaft, the outer race ring of the bearlngbeing spaced from the end of the axle housing, an anchor.

plate extending between the outer race ring and the end of the axle housing, means for clamping the anchor plate between said parts, and the anchor plate having load sustaining projections piloted upon the outer race ring; substantially as described.

7. In a semi-floating axle construction, an axle housing having a flange, a drive shaft, an antifriction bearing beyond the end'of the axle housing and having its inner race ring mounted on the shaft, the outer race ring of the bearing having a terminal flange spaced from the housing flange, an anchor plate extending between said flanges, bolts for clamping said flanges against opposite sides of the anchor plate, and

the anchor plate having load sustaining projections piloted upon said flanges to locate the bear-' ing and relieve the bolts .of load substantially as described.

8. In a semi-floating .axle construction, an axle I housing, a drive shaft, an antifriction bearing having its inner race ring mounted on the ,shaft,

the outer race ring of the bearing being spaced from the end of the axle housing, an anchor plate extending between the outer-race ring and the end of the axle housing, means for clamping the anchor plate between said parts, and the anchor plate having two series .of oppositely extending projections extruded therefrom and piloted upon- .the outer race ring and the axle housing; sub-.

stantially as described. I

9. In a semi-floating axle construction, an axle housing having a flange, a drive shaft, an antifriction bearing on the shaft, the outer race ring of the bearing being angular to provide a ter- 'minal holding flange, an anchor plate between the flanges, and means accessible at the inner side of the anchor plate for releasably clamping the bearing flange against the anchor plate; subs tiintially as described.

' 10. In a semi-floating axle construction, an

axle housing, a wheel, a drive shaft for the wheel, an antifriction bearing beyond the end of the axle housing and having its inner race ring mourited on the shaft, a brake anchor plate, means for securingthe anchor plate to the end of the axle housing, the outer race ring of'the bearing being angular to provide a rigid holding flange at the outer side of the anchor plate, and

flange to the anchor plate to provide for withdrawal of the drive shaft and the bearing as a unit without disconnecting the anchor plate having its inner race ring mounted on the shaft,

an anchor'plate, means for securing the anchor plate. to the end of the axle housing, the outer race ring of the bearing being located at the outer side of the anchor plate, bolts fixed to the outer race ring and projecting through the.an-'

chor plate, and nuts accessible at the inner side of the anchor plate to provide for withdrawal of the drive shaft,

' means accessible at the inner side of the anchor vplate for detachably securing the race ring hearing and bolts as a unit 75,

to the flange, the outer race ring of the bearing in being angular to provide a rigid holding flange alongside of the anchor plate, bolts secured to the race ring flange and projecting through the anchor plate and the housing flange, and nuts for rigidly clamping said bolt-engaging parts together and removable to provide forwithdrawal of the drive shaft, bearing and bolts as a unit without disconnecting the anchor plate from the housing flange; substantially as described.

FREDERICK G. HUGHES. l0 

